No 20, July 7 - The Grumbler's County Cricket Newsletter

Championship deciders | Why everyone is 'going young' | County membership re-imagined | Cheltenham | Viv Richards | New York CCC | Northants CEO award | 10% jump in my subscribers

Jul 07, 2021

Thanks to everyone who took heed of my little moan last week. Your shares and retweets saw my subscribers leap by 10 per cent in six days. I am still well behind my target for the year and I’ll need you to help me reach it. So please continue to share and enjoy.

The first conference stage of the County Championship will conclude this week. Yorkshire, Lancashire, Nottinghamshire and Somerset are either qualified or qualified unless they choke horribly. Warwickshire and Hampshire are likely to join them but it is going to be tense.

Championship games this week

Preview links will be added once they appear on the relevant websites.

Derbyshire v Essex

Durham v Nottinghamshire

Worcestershire v Warwickshire

Gloucestershire v Hampshire

Middlesex v Leicestershire

Surrey v Somerset

Glamorgan v Northamptonshire

Kent v Sussex

Yorkshire v Lancashire

News, views and interviews

James Anderson reacts to reaching 1,000 first-class wickets (Lancashire Telegraph)

It was so pleasing to see him reach this milestone playing for Lancashire and bowling from the James Anderson end.

Speculation versus Realism the next few weeks (Grockles)

This Somerset blog ponders on the question that will be vexing fans over the next month. How to avoid the tournament-that-shall-not-be-named and solve the issues its very existence creates for the 50-over tournament?

Would a General County Cricket Membership work? (The Full Toss)

This blog proposes the idea of a general county cricket membership, allowing you to get into all games but you allocate which county gets most of your money. It is a fair idea but, of course, there are challenges and issues. However, the piece was sparked by the writer's decision NOT to attend a game and watch the stream at home instead. The logical question is will such free coverage hit the game in the pocket? My experience suggests it is the other way around, free streams will bring lapsed and casual fans through gates. However, Covid is messing with all our hypotheses. Like the writer, I have not seen Essex play yet because I am not allowed the freedom to do what I want at Chelmsford. The restrictions mean I can't potter about, change seats, grab drinks etc. The pandemic has revealed that is key to my cricket-spectating experience.

County cricket club puts its players on 'enhanced education' course after tweets containing racist, homophobic and misogynistic language were unearthed from 10 years ago (Daily Mail)

Ian Salisbury plays the waiting game at Sussex as he ignores Alan Hansen adage (The Cricketer)

We are seeing some surprising player moves (Northeast, Quinn etc) and loan at about the time that discussions about next season normally get serious. Also many teams are openly going for youth. This has to be pandemic-related. Finances are starting to bite and budgets calculated for 2022. It could be another brutal winter for county staffs. That said, this Sussex crop looks special, especially young Masters Lenham and Ibrahim, both just 16.

Cherishing the club game (Cricketer) Cheltenham, how I have missed you (The Cricketer)

The single quality I enjoy most about Paul Edwards’ writing is the sense of joy. Here are two fine examples.

Mitch Claydon: Sussex seamer to retire at end of season (BBC Sport)

Northamptonshire County Cricket Club boss wins ‘business hero award’ after leading huge improvements (Northampton Chronicle)

I think it was this chap who said his county was “counting every loo roll” a few years ago. There has been assistance from many parties and, of course, all counties are hugely helped, or essentially kept going, via the ECB’s annual payment for provision of players. However, counties are much better businesses and much less laden with debt than a decade ago.

And, in the true tradition of the evening news, the feelgood stories come at the end.

No Boundaries as Help for Heroes Cricket Team Looks for New Recruits (Cricket World)

Special glasses help colour blind cricketer, 11, see ball (BBC)